Stars over Fort Sumter

I had been wanting to quilt a quilt with a light background to try some mini stacked peacock feathers (I am sure that is not the official name, but that is what I call them) as a background fill.  And as I was looking for my inspiration for the Green (from the previous post), I saw the Stars over Fort Sumter and it was perfect for what I had in mind. 

Who doesn't love the Dark Chocolate and Pinks.  Using a light cream Moda background really lets the colors pop.

 

 

 

Close up so that you can see the quilting idea that was what started the whole thing.  I love how it gives the quilt a unique texture without taking away from the overall quilt pattern.

 

 

I didn't go a very good job timing myself on how long it took to quilt it.  I just kept quilting, and quilting, and quilting.  Good thing that I don't need much sleep.

 

Thanks again for letting me Share.

Cathy

 

What to do with all that green????

I was asking myself what to do with all that green fabric that we had recently put online.  Green is not my usual color of choice when I am in the mood to sew, but I kept coming back to the section of the shop that held the Tavern Green by Paula Barnes and all the green in the Vintage Rouge by Faye Burgos. The question kept coming - What to do with all that green?  Next comes flipping through all the pattern that I have that are new...no inspiration.  Then I looked at patterns that I have had for a while or that I have already made quilts from.  And I kept coming back to the James River Blues by Bonnie Blue Quilts (now Red Crinoline Quilts).  I have made many BBQ (Red Crinoline Quilts) patterns and love them all.  So James River Blues....Green.

 

I love the texture of the quilt.  I think it is a great everyday quilt, but I can see it at Christmas on the foot of the guest room bed.

 

 I quilted the quilt with meandering feathers.  I was having a hard time finding an idea to do detailed work on the quilt.  So an all over design fit it best for me.  Plus, I have not had an easy quilt to quilt lately, so it was a nice not to over think the quilting.

 I chose a green from the Tavern Greens collection for the backing.  I have a weakness for stripes on backs.  Not really sure why.

Thanks for checking out my James River Blues....Greens.
Cathy

Heritage Square

 

I have recently finished my version of the Miss Rosie's Quilt Co pattern - Heritage Square.  Of course I used Civil War fabrics to make the quilt.  I focused of using blacks, greens, and red prints.  Set with civil war cream and tan.  I love how the red chain really show up across the quilt.  I always like to sew Miss Rosie's patterns.  They just fit together so nicely. 

 

 

 We have been getting a lot of fabric ready to put online this past week.  So hopefully you will find something that will inspire you.  I know I have.....Now to find more time to sew.

www.whitttlesfabrics.com

Thanks again,
Cathy

Hocuspocusville

I finished my Hocuspcusville by Crabapple Hill Studios just before Halloween last year.  But we have put it back out on display here at the shop and wanted to share it with everyone.  I usually keep some hand work around for on the go projects.  This one was a lot of fun....Warning I have several photos.

This is the all over photo.  I added the pieced color border as well as an outside border to make the quilt just a little bit larger.  I also used the cheddar for my center block backgrounds.  I thought it really made the nine patches pop.

 I replaced the names on the pattern with family names just to make it a little more personalized.

 My daughter of course was crazy about dress - up, so she has the Boutique.

 Of course the quilt shop block had to be Whittle's.

 The used broom block was perfect for Dad.

 Mom thought I was real funny making the dirty laundry her block.

 Kelsey's Split ends - of course had to be for my niece who was going thorough a hair color experimenting phase. 

I quilted the background of the block with a meander making sure not to cross the hand work.

The border were quilted in swirls and stars.

The backing was the same black fabric I used for the border.

This was the first time that I ever did piped binding.  I really liked the extra pop that the cheddar piping added.  I will have to do it again on another special project. 

 

Thanks for letting me share. 

Cathy

Labyrinth - Arabella Rose by RJR Fabrics

This weekend was very productive for me.  I was able to get the Labyrinth (Calico Carriage Quilt Design by Debbie Maddy) in the Arabella Rose by RJR Fabrics pieced and quilted.  Purple is not a color that I usually sew with, not that I don't like purple.  But looking though my quilts, I have noticed that there is just not much purple.  I tend to go to blue...a lot (that is my favorite color). 
 

When I saw this line and especially the large floral.  I just knew I need to sew with it. 

This is my third Labyrinth.  I love the pattern.  It looks so difficult, but I can piece the top in a good 5 hours.  I just love how the maze pattern looks.  To me it is important for the maze to look seamless, I have to use fabrics that you can not easily pick out the seams.  The fabrics on the bolts that are used to make some of the maze pieces.

 

I just quilted the Labyrinth in a all over leafy vine.   I used a cream/tan paisley for the backing.  

 

Thanks for letting me share my work from this weekend.  I was able to get the quilt pieced and quilted this weekend, but the binding didn't make it on until yesterday. 

Raise The Roof

Hello Again Friends,

I recently finished the Raise the Roof by Miss Rosie's Quilts.  I love patterns using Log Cabin blocks and to put stars in the mix...wonderful.  Miss Rosie's patterns just fit together so nicely.  Can you tell I am a fan of the Miss Rosie's Quilt patterns???  I even like to pull patterns that have been out a while and use my current fabrics.  The quilts look total different.  

I love how you can really see the Barn Raising layout when this quilt is spread out.  I used Civil War Fabrics from different designers to help give it a scrappy look and different color tones. The lights were all  tonal prints in tans and creams.  I think the piano key border is just beautiful and just accents the log cabin blocks.

 

 

 

I quilted the quilt with a stacked feather.  But it is really hard to see in the photo.  I used a piece of Judie Rothermel Civil War to back to quilt.  I had been holding on to the backing fabric for a while to find the right quilt.  I am so glad I waited.  It made a stunning back.

 

Thanks again for letting me share my quilt.  Next week I will share with you the quilt I hope to finish this weekend. 

 

 

 

History Repeated Book II by Julie Hendricksen

I have been on vacation for a few days, just in case you were wondering about me.  But when I returned to the shop I as so excited to see boxes and boxes of fabric waiting for me unpack and find a home on the shelves.  It was like Christmas. 

This fabric is just wonderful.  I love the cozy colors of the History Repeated Book II by Julie Hendricksen.   I have also been able to get the Creamery Neutrals 6 by Buggy Barn unpacked and on shelves too, but the picture of neutrals just doesn't show up as well. 

For our Family Vacation we went to the Outer Banks, NC.  I just love the area.  We have vacationed there for a week in June about 5 times now.  Just a nice relaxing vacation to watch the kids play in the pool and run around on the beach.  This year we had some Tropical Storm winds that made beautiful waves and wonder kite adventures. 

 

 

Thanks for letting me take a few days away and then listening to me glow about the trip.

 

Weaver Fever

The Weaver Fever pattern by Jackie Robinson is one of the patterns many think looks so complicated, but really goes together very easily.  This  is my second Weaver Fever.  This is the Three-ver version.  The key to the Weaver Fever is fabric harmony and contrast. 

 

The Queen is a 92" x 112" which is a large Queen. 

I went with an orange to red for the darker weave and light to dark gold tones for the lighter weave.

It all started with the poppy fabric that I used for the border.  It is so bright and happy.

I quilted in a scroll and leaf combination so that the weave pattern would be the focus and not the quilting.   

 

  If you haven't tried the Weaver Fever by Jackie Robinson.  Don't be afraid.  It is just a strip pieced, 10.5" block (yes the same block) that repeats over the quilt.  

 Thanks for letting me share.

Over the River and Through the Woods

Yes, I can do some hand work.  No not hand quilting, but hand embroidery.  The first hand embroidery quilt that I finished was the Over the River and Through the Woods by Crabapple Hill Studio.  I have seen it on several blogs and was just in love with the pattern.  I would love to say that it stitched quickly, but there was a billion tree branches.  I like to sew at night, so I kept it in the family room to stitch on if I sat down to watch T.V. with the family.  As usual, I would get started stitching and the rest of the family would go to bed and I would want to just finish this next little section and finally make it to bed several hours later.  There should be a disclaimer on the patterns that states    -  Warning....Highly Addictive.....

This photo is the finished quilt.

  I decided on redwork so that it would be great for the holidays.  And I added the extra border on the outside just to make it a little larger.

I told you there were billions of tree branches to stitch.

 When I quilted it (by machine) I wanted to give it more detail, so I quilted clouds in the sky and smoke coming out of  the chimney.  I made drifts in the snow. 

I quilted trees on the center panel.

Thanks for letting me share my quilt today.  I really enjoyed making it.  I have made a few more of the Crabapple Hill Studio projects that I will probably share with you soon.  I usually keep some kind of embroidery going at all times.  But it just does not get completed as quickly as the other projects.  But if something is happening where I have to have a project to go.  I will grab the bag and have a little hand project to keep me out of trouble.

Sherman's March

I pieced and quilted the Sherman's March by Red Crinoline Quilts (formerly Bonnie Blue Quilts).  It is really the one that is talked about the most at the shop right now.  When I finished quilting it I thought it would be perfect for my bedroom.  But I think there have been several people thinking that their name should be on the quilt when it has finished it's time at the shop.  But it will be hard to let it go....I am pretty sure it will have to say with me. 

 This is another one of the patterns that I have carried around for along time just trying to find the right fabrics.  Finding blacks that look good together is not as easy as one might think.  When we got in the Cumberland Collection, I knew it would be perfect for this quilt. Nice deep black with a soft cream instead of a stark white or tan.

 

The photo doesn't show the background very well.  It is a tone on tone print.  I don't usually like to use tone on tone because I sew at night and the tone on tone are hard to tell the right and wrong sides in the dark.  But once daylight comes all the wrong pieces show up.  But I couldn't see a solid background looking right to me.  It just needed a little motion.

 

I quilted the background squares with what I call peacock feathers.  The border has the same quilting pattern.  I quilted the pieced blocks in the background only with little arcs to give the black prints some depth.   Of course the red is solid Moda red. 

 

Thanks for letting me share my Sherman's March with you today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have also finished up my version of the Regimental Stars by Red Crinoline Quilts (formerly Bonnie Blue Quilts).  I love all their patterns.

I used  Cotton Club by Marcus Fabrics for the Set - in triangles.  And I used solid Navy Moda Bella for the sashing. 

When quilting I have a hard time deciding what to do in the set-in triangles on all quilts on point.  But with my Christmas money from my parents I got some new rulers and I had be waiting for the right quilt to try using the Curved Crosshatch ruler.  Not all my arches are perfect.  But I was excited to be able to play with my new ruler.   

 

I also didn't like to see the cream thread cross over my sashing, so I decided to change to navy for quilting my sashing.  That was a lot a thread changes.  But it was worth it in the end. 

 

Thanks for letting me share my quilt today. 

 

 

 

Another one of the patterns that is my go to pattern is the Yellow Brick Road by Atkinson Design.  I have made several of them.  Honestly I have lost count.  I have two hanging at the shop right now and many people don't even realize they are the same pattern.  It just looks different with different fabrics.

First is the Annabella Fabrics by Marcus in the Yellow Brick Road.  We used the Large Brown Floral as the border and binding. 

Every time  I look at it is see a different color stand out.

 

 

Each block fits perfectly.  My hardest decision is which block to put next. 

 

 

It is easy to quilt too.  I am always happy with a meander or simple quilting pattern.

I also have the Yellow Brick Road hanging at the shop from a Lecien fabric line called Christmas Fun by Lynette Anderson. 

 It is really cozy with the chocolate browns, a burgundy-ish red, and shades of cream. The quilt does not scream Christmas.  It has soothing tonal snowflakes, soft stars and little ginger breadmen.  I think it will look perfect in my family room next winter.

 

 

With the stars in the fabrics.  I quilted the quilt with wandering stars and loops. 

We have a few of these kits online.  There is also some new fabrics posted at the shop this week as well.  Like Aunt Grace- First Place and the beautiful Heart of the Prairie by Pam Buda.

 



Hope something inspires you,

Cathy